Bethesda house fire kills two

Improperly discarded cigarette cause of blaze

A Bethesda couple was killed in their home Sunday after an improperly discarded cigarette caused a house fire, according to Montgomery County Fire and Rescue officials.

William Purcell was 79. His wife, Patricia, was 64.

Fire and Rescue personnel responded to 10237 Arizona Circle, near Montgomery mall, after a 55-year old woman who resided in the home discovered the fire and called 9-1-1 around 9:30 p.m., according to Fire and Rescue spokesman Pete Piringer. The woman resided at the home with her father, William Purcell, and stepmother Patricia Purcell.

After a smoke alarm activated, the woman saw smoke and attempted to contact Patricia Purcell on the upper level of the home, but didn't receive a response. She then discovered fire near William Purcell's bed on the lower level of the home. Purcell used a wheelchair, according to Piringer, and was lying in a hospital bed on the first floor of the home.

The woman attempted to extinguish the fire using a fire extinguisher, but wasn't successful. She left the home and called for help. When firefighters arrived, they found "significant fire," Piringer said, and discovered the two bodies inside. About 75 firefighters responded, he said.

Piringer said investigators believe the cause of the fire was a cigarette William Purcell improperly discarded. Purcell was a known smoker, Piringer said. Other cigarettes discovered in the home were not fire-safe, he said. Cigarettes sold in Montgomery County are now required to be fire-safe, meaning they are less likely to burn when left unattended.

There were no sprinklers in the home, Piringer said. Damage to the structure was estimated at $500,000, and damage to the contents was about $200,000,Piringer said.